Sunday, 1 November 2009

Picture postcard views of London

Here are some of my photographs of London with a few comments...

Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, a red London double-decker bus, a black taxi - all the world-famous symbols of London. Even when I lived in London I always found this an exhilarating sight. If you get close to Big Ben you can see it's covered in extraordinarily fine details - including the Latin inscritpions in gold gothic text and the filigree of the clock face. In fact, the Houses of Parliament (also known as the Palace of Westminster) offer examples of some of the most ornate architecture and lavish interiors to be found anywhere in the capital - well worth a visit if you are going to London!

Oxford Street - London's busiest street, where you can find departments stores and boutiques selling all the latest fashions at highly competitive prices. In this picture commuters dodge the traffic and shoppers spill out of the brightly-lit stores onto the crowded pavements. Overhead, the Oxford Street Christmas lights glow in the rush-hour dusk and the headlights of cars, vans and buses shine on the black road soaked with rain, making it glisten.

Notting Hill Underground station at night. The familiar symbol of London Underground shines out at night in red, white and blue. The Tube is the fastest way to get around town - and its extensive network of lines criss-cross the capital. Ticket prices, however, are much higher than here in Milan and if you plan to visit London I recommend that you buy an electronic Oyster card which you can top up with credit and use on the Underground, buses, Overground trains - and on the futuristic Docklands Light Railway (DLR), a driverless monorail system in the east of the capital.

Fish and chips: English food at its best. Tender, white cod freshly fried in crispy batter, served with a portion of succulent chips and a generous dollop of mushy peas. Seasoned with the finest tomato ketchup (Heinz), salt and malt vinegar and accompanied by a slice of bread and butter and a thirst-quenching Coca Cola, a plate of fish and chips is ideally followed by a refreshing cup of tea.